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Post by Californian on Jul 20, 2019 21:10:39 GMT -5
Encounters at the Heart of the World: A History of the Mandan People. by Elizabeth A. Fenn, Hill and Wang, New York 2014. 480 p.
The book tells the story of the Mandan Indians of the upper Missouri River, who are now known mostly for assisting Lewis and Clark when the explorers chose to build their fort near the Mandan villages during the difficult winter of 1804-1805. Using new discoveries in archaeology, anthropology, climatology, nutritional science and more, Fenn delves deeper into their history to create a more complete picture of their lives. The Mandan had a reputation for hospitality, but they also had agricultural and commercial prowess. Fenn details this thriving civilization that collapsed when hit with disease and new commercial technologies, though a sense of tradition and culture endured. The author Elizabeth A. Fenn is an associate professor of history at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her field of study is the early American West, focusing on epidemic disease, Native American history and environmental history.
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